New Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry is often praised for his leaguewide connections that have formed throughout two and half decades within NBA front offices.
Being on the Seattle Supersonics staff that drafted Kevin Durant probably steals the headline this offseason, given the future Hall of Famers’ uncertain future with Phoenix, but it goes well beyond that.
Perry’s most recent tenure spanned six seasons with the New York Knicks, where he saw plenty of players come through Madison Square Garden — including some who could be intriguing point guard options for his new squad in California’s capital.
Selecting third in the 2019 NBA Draft, Perry and the Knicks brass selected guard/wing RJ Barrett from Duke who has since been traded to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal that landed OG Anunoby in The Big Apple.
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Sacramento is “showing early interest” in the 24-year-old, according to Cris Davis. Their interest “could intensify as the draft approaches,” per the report.
In 58 games played with his hometown Raptors, Barrett averaged 21.1 points, 5.4 assists, and 6.3 rebounds on 46.8 percent from the field and 35 percent from three.
He’s not a guard who is going to orchestrate an offense every time down the floor but still has intriguing playmaking skills.
This is the way for RJ Barrett. He can get into the paint and draw multiple defenders at a really high level. But his team impact won’t peak until he’s leveraging the attention to create for his teammates.
This off-hand bounce pass is BEAUTIFUL.pic.twitter.com/4bu1IWeVB7
— Hot Hand Theory (@HotHandTheory) February 23, 2025
respecting this RJ barrett laser of righty skip pass pic.twitter.com/OfSxbUrEg6
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) December 15, 2024
Attacking downhill with physicality, the 6’6 guard uses his ability to touch the paint to create kick-out opportunities for his shooters.
If the idea is to run much of the offense through Domantas Sabonis at and around the elbows, Barrett’s playmaking could be enough — along with factoring in Malik Monk.
Barrett’s efficiency waned as he was given more opportunities to grow and play through mistakes in Canada. His turnovers also increased, posting a 12.7 turnover percentage (per Cleaning The Glas s), the lowest since his rookie season.
But, maybe something to his 36.4 percent rate on catch-and-shoot triples (per NBA.com) if he were to be in a less featured role. And he certainly wouldn’t have a near 30 percent usage rate alongside LaVine, Sabonis, and Monk.
RJ Barrett🇨🇦 hits his 500th career three-pointer tonight.
He’s the second fastest Canadian to reach 500 threes (302 games), behind only Jamal Murray (280 games). pic.twitter.com/bet4C1kIna
— Brian Swane (@BrianSwane) January 10, 2024
With roughly two years and $57 million left on his deal, DeMar DeRozan’s salary is an easy match. But, he may not be an appealing asset to a rebuilding roster, despite being expected to go into the Hall of Fame as a Raptor.
But, draft capital could always help entice a deal if Perry believed in Barret’s fit in Sacramento enough to warrant such.
The Kings have also recently been linked to Boston’s Jrue Holiday, and will surely remain in the rumor mill this offseason as they search for a starting point guard and an identity.
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It’s no secret that the Sacramento Kings will be hunting for a point guard this offseason, and now an intriguing target has emerged for new general manager Scott Perry.
According to ClutchPoints‘ Brett Siegel, the Kings are interested in trading for Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday this offseason.
Holiday, a 15-year NBA veteran with six NBA All-Defensive Team nods, may become available this summer as the Celtics look to trim down a bloated payroll that has sunk them into the league’s second luxury tax apron. Boston is currently standing at $227.8 million in committed salary for the 2025-26 season.
Read More:
Report: Kings have interest in trading for Jrue Holiday
Upcoming offseason schedule for the Sacramento Kings:
Wednesday, June 25th – 2025 NBA Draft
Monday, June 30th – NBA free agent negotiations can begin
Sunday, July 6th – NBA free agents can officially sign with teams
July 10th-20th – Las Vegas NBA Summer League
August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season
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